By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 6th April 2018) – “Is politics give you all de work! The truth be told; truth be told and if suddenly you all in no politics now you all get big jobs, well the people of the country will make a determination about those things!”
These are some of the controversial words spoken by Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris at a government’s town hall meeting held in Sandy Point last month which has sparked wide spread public debate about party politics being a direct employment factor within civil service under the present administration.
“When we look around and we see all the persons from Sandy Point who have been elevated (to) big jobs big positions, they are the ones who supposed to be on the campaign trail writing like how Calvin Farrier wrote week after week his long epistle but they don’t have to do the same long epistle…two paragraphs of good writemanship about how well this government is doing!,” Harris told.
It is understood that Farrier is a Cabinet Secretary of the former Kennedy Simmonds-led PAM administration.
Harris continued: “We have done that for you! And some of you, all of a sudden, when Team Unity put you in positions, you all ain’t in no politics! Well politics give you all that! Is politics give you all de work! The truth be told; truth be told and if suddenly you all in no politics now you all get big jobs, well the people of the country will make a determination about those things! Be careful there are some things we take for granted!
Appearing on the Labour Party-sponsored ‘Issues’ programme aired on Freedom on Wednesday this week (4th April) Parliamentray Representative for Constituency Three Konris Maynard accused Harris of having politicsed the hiring and firing of people within the civil service.
“Our civil service is supposed to be independent of political parties. Persons are not to be appointed or given work in the civil service based on their political support. What this dictator is saying to u-because I have to call him that-if he is going to say that you got a job from this government then it’s incumbent upon you, you must go out and campaign for this government. That is what he is saying. Those are the words of a dictator who has politicsed completely a whole civil service,” ” he commented.
He remembered that a couple of years ago while on the campaign trail leading up to the 2015 General Elections, Harris advised to civil servants not to follow the Labour Party and members including himself and also the Party Leader and immediate former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas-the Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Six and the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Two Marcella Liburd.
“You know who he want them to follow? His government; the coalition government,” added Maynard.
Caretaker of St. Christopher Eight Dr. Terrance Drew also voiced his view on the issue
“He is reminding those who want to be professional in their positions ‘don’t come here with no professionalism, remember your position is purely political and you must act accordingly’,” he opined.
Dr. Drew is of the view that anti-nepotism laws should be put in place to guard against employment within the civil service based on one-sidedness.
“I can’t remember hearing any leader in the English-speaking Caribbean saying things like this; telling the civil servants. That their positions are political and they need to act accordingly. That is the reason why many persons who are very qualified can’t find jobs. This is where the nepotism comes in and that is why we have to put anti-nepotism laws in palace,” he remarked.